November 22nd, 2012

We have been thrilled by the presence this week at the Blair Outdoor Education Centre of a barred owl – Strix varia.  It was first sighted – not by the “outdooredguy” – but by a parent volunteer with a class who, it turns out, works professionally with birds!!  Grade 1 classes are visiting this week, studying Daily and Seasonal Cycles, and Characteristics of Living Things.  Only a few kids in that morning’s class saw the owl, but each of the classes since has been able to locate it at some point during our walk.

Barred owls are typically residents of the southern Shield – Muskoka/Parry Sound/Killarney/Algonquin/Haliburton.  So far this fall there have been a number of sightings reported in southern Ontario, an indication that this species may be  experiencing a shortage of food in it’s home turf.

The owl has been observed on three occasions successfully securing a meal – it’s flight from the perch is short, silent and deadly accurate.  Owls hunt more by sound than sight, plucking unsuspecting prey like mice and voles from under the leaf litter.  The video below shows it eating a mole it caught before my eyes.  Late this afternoon I saw it regurgitate a pellet – the indigestible fur and bones of its prey – so I’ll be poking around in the leaves myself tomorrow trying to locate this prize.

If you’re not familiar with the “Who cooks for you – who cooks for you all” call of the barred owl, you might like this link.

There’s no way of knowing how long the owl will remain on or near the Blair property, but if the hunting is good we may enjoy it’s presence for a while longer.  Here are a few photos as a slideshow of this beautiful bird.

 

 

[wpvideo Sd3MLyLG]

 

[wpvideo olHVoO50]

 

The owl caught and is eating a mole, all the while being scolded by chickadees and a red-bellied woodpecker.

[wpvideo 0OFBF8cb]